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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — child
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rest — a break
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com